2025-03-12
Descriptive statistics summarize a dataset, commonly through measures of central tendency or spread
Examples: mean, median, mode, range, standard deviation
Descriptive statistics are usually used to set the stage for an analysis. You might use them to
Example: The Five Number Summary
The five number summary is commonly used to provide a basic description on a dataset. It usually contains
Note: A five number summary can only be computed for quantitative variables (but qualitative variables can still be described statistically!)
Summary of Survey Responses
2 people responded
0 people didn’t answer every question 🤓
How many cups of a caffeinated beverage have you had today?
Min. 1st Qu. Median Mean 3rd Qu. Max.
1 1 1 1 1 1
How many emails have you sent so far today?
Min. 1st Qu. Median Mean 3rd Qu. Max.
1 2 3 3 4 5
What’s your favorite season?
Count Percent (%)
spring 1 50
winter 1 50
Exploratory data visualization is always encouraged!